Prophecy & Change Book One: Abyss
by thew40
Summary: [COMPLETE] The squeal to 'The Crossroads of Destiny' The Spirit of Evil seeks to attack all Eternia in an unthinkable way! Please R&R!
1. Author's Notes

NOTE: This is a quasi-squeal to "Masters of the Universe: The Crossroads of Destiny." You don't necessarily need to read to know what's going on, but it couldn't hurt if you wanted to.

DISCLAIMER: This story is mine. Many of the characters and concepts come from the MOTU and POP mini-comics, storybooks, and cartoon series. This story was written for entertainment purposes only, there is no money made nor wanted for it. Some of these characters are my own creation. I'm not sure which ones will be used, so if you see someone you TOTALLY don't recognize and want to use them in your fanfics, e-mail me before hand.

Previously . . .

Timeline

April

"The Problem with Power"

"The Cold Zone" (final episode of the Filmation "Masters of the Universe")

May

"The Secret of the Sword" movie (the origin of She-Ra)

The Crossroads of Destiny - Book One: Honor

June

The Crossroads of Destiny - Book Two: War

The Crossroads of Destiny - Book Three: Beyond

The Crossroads of Destiny - Book Four: Restoration

July

"Duel at Devlan" (first post-"TSOTS" episode of Filmation "She-Ra: Princess of Power")

August - November

"She-Ra: Princess of Power" episodes 1-12 (not counting "TSOTS")

December

"She-Ra/He-Man: Christmas Special"

January-March

"She-Ra: Princess of Power" episodes 13-30

April

Prophecy & Change - Book One: Abyss (present day)

From "The Crossroads of Destiny" Books One-Four:

Book One: Honor

Skeletor released King Hiss, Tung Lashor, and Rattlor, all three warriors of the Snake Men, who were trapped in a timeless void 1,000 years ago by the Council of Elders

After a confrontation with Beast-Man, Teela was left wounded

Escapees from Hordak, Snout Spout and Extendar arrived on Eternia and joined the Heroic Warriors.

After stealing a number of ancient books (and injuring a soldier in the process) King Hiss unlocked the location of the Great Towers of Eternia.

He released the towers, leading to a three-way battle between the Heroic Warriors, the Evil Warriors/Snake Men, and the Horde

During this battle, He-Man was locked in a dangerous battle with Skeletor. Teela, though still hurt, was sent to give He-Man important information regarding the secret of the Towers. Just as this secret was revealed, Skeletor unleashed a death-shot to her.

He-Man was unable to help her, as he claimed the power of the Great Towers, becoming their protector and banishing Skeletor, Hordak, and King Hiss away

When He-Man was finally able to reach Teela, he was too late. She was dead.

Book Two: War

After the confrontation in Book One between Hordak and King Hiss, the pair begins an arms race against each other. King Hiss acquires the energy zoid known as Twistoid, the robot Blast-Attack and the Meteorbs. From Count Marzo, he receives a book that allows him to restore 2,000 of his Snake Men warriors with the aide of the Snake Amulet.

Meanwhile, Hordak builds 1,500 Horde Troopers and sets up base on Eternia at the Golden Isles.

After expelling Skeletor and his Evil Warriors from Snake Mountain, King Hiss uses the fortress as his base of operations. He launches an attack on Eternos with his newly released warriors. After forcing the Heroic Warriors to retreat to Castle Grayskull, Eternos falls to the Snake Men.

Immediately following this victory, King Hiss takes a massive assault unit to Etheria and forces Queen Angella to sign a treaty that will allow the Snake Men to occupy Brightmoon while they assault the Fright Zone.

As combat begins on Etheria, Hordak takes his Horde Troopers on Eternia and takes over North and West Eternos - the kingdoms belonging to Randor's siblings, Johanna and Stephan. Stratos and Buzz-Off take off from Grayskull to seek the aide of Avion and Insectia, only to fall victim to an attack by the Snake Men.

As the battle on Etheria takes a turn for the worst, Hordak is forced to withdraw from Eternia. From the besieged Fright Zone, Hordak preps the best defense he can - only to realize that it's too late. The Snake Men could easily claim the Horde base in a matter of hours.

Hordak realizes, then, that he must go to Castle Grayskull and summon the ancient powers of the Elders to banish the Snake Men once more. The problem being - that once the power of Elders is summoned, Grayskull's Great Eye will open in two days, giving whomever is at the throne of Grayskull access to its incredible power. Despite this, though, the Sorceress, He-Man, She-Ra, the Heroic Warriors and a number of cosmic entities concerned with Eternia agree - it must be done before King Hiss can spread his evil power even farther.

Meanwhile, Teela wakens from near-death after a series of mental and spiritual tests, and - fully healed - rejoins her friends and family. The only thing she can remember about her dream is that there is a great destiny before her.

As He-Man launches an attack on Eternos in an effort to reclaim it, She-Ra does the same with Brightmoon with a few newer members of the Heroic Warriors. Hordak confronts King Hiss and the two do battle. In the end, all Snake Men except for King Hiss' elite are banished back to the void. Hordak, severally injured, retreats to the damaged Fright Zone for recovery.

Just as it seems that everything is going well at Eternos, though, He-Man and his allies are shocked as a portal opens, unleashing Tri-Klops and a new robotic army in the service of Skeletor.

Skeletor has found a device called the Cosmic Key and has used it to take Castle Grayskull and Eternos, forcing He-Man, Man-At-Arms, and Teela into hiding as their allies are captured.

Skeletor, who has been observing the Horde/Snake Men War carefully, has taken Castle Grayskull, well aware that in twenty-four hours, he will be able to stand at the throne as the Great Eye opens - allowing him to become the new Master of the Universe.

Book Three: Beyond

Skeletor, having seized Grayskull, placed Tri-Klops in command of the captured Eternos and waited until moonrise, when the Great Eye would open.

He-Man, having escaped the attack of Eternos, found Orko and sent him to Avion to request the assistance of the Avions and Insectoids. He-Man then joined with Teela, Man-At-Arms and the inventor named Gwildor in an attempt to free the Sorceress and Grayskull. Their attempt failed and the foursome were forced to flee to that planet Earth.

As He-Man and his allies met new friends and battled with Beast-Man and Evil Lynn and Skeletor's new members - Karg, Blade, and Saurod, Orko reached Avion and required their help. While the Avions and Insectoids built their armies, Orko then headed to the Great Towers. There, he confronted and defeated the Snake Men and freed Stratos and Buzz-Off.

Meanwhile, on Etheria, the queen of Castle Chill - Frosta joined the Great Rebellion. She joined as a result of the Horde renewed interest in her land. Devastated from the Snake Men War, the Fright Zone needed certain minerals from her lands to be repaired and fully operational once more. She-Ra and Frosta then infiltrated the Fright Zone. Frosta destroyed the assault force while She-Ra confronted Hordak as Adora. Hordak, still reeling from the power transfer from the Elders, gave Adora the means to return to Eternia.

Skeletor, in the meantime, managed to capture He-Man and forced him to bow before him as Skeletor was given the power of Grayskull.

She-Ra, joined with the Avions and Insectoids, launched an attack on Eternos, releasing the Heroic Warriors and winning the city and palace back. At the same time, He-Man restored the power of Grayskull, ripping it from Skeletor. Then, in a final battle, Skeletor fell into an open pit within Grayskull.

Despite the day seeming won, many matters lay incomplete. King Randor and Queen Marlena are still trapped in statue form. Hordak has returned some of the Elders goodness, and he detests it. The Great Eye will open once more in three days as a result of Skeletor's defeat. And, on the horizon, there lies an incredible, ancient evil . . .

Book Four: Restoration

The 'great evil' known both as the Dark Cloud and the Nameless One ripped itself from it's prison at the edge of universe. It had taken the combined power of the Ancients and the Cosmic Enforcers to put it there. With the Ancients gone from Eternia for nearly three thousand years, hopes of restoring that imprisonment are small.

Sensing the power of Grayskull now up for grabs, the Dark Cloud made for Eternia. As it entered the solar system, it confronted Horde Prime and nearly destroyed his vessel.

On Eternia, Granamyr joined forces with Randor and the other kingdoms of Eternia in the hope of defending Castle Grayskull from the in-coming threat. A massive army assembled at Grayskull, along with a temporary alliance with Skeletor, Hordak and King Hiss.

Meanwhile, Adam and Teela went on a search for the Sword of the Ancients, the only hope of defeating the Dark Cloud. Along the way, Teela revealed her feeling for Prince Adam and the two kissed. A few hours later, they were confronted by the Ancients and received their blade.

At Grayskull, the massive assembled army was defeated, leaving only a small number to defend Grayskull. With time running out, a large, last ditch battle was fought within the heart of Grayskull. Yet, just as the power was to transfer to the Dark Cloud, the Sorceress stood in his way and received the power that was rightfully hers.

Adam (who snuck away to become He-Man) and Teela returned then. Teela struck the heart of the Dark Cloud with the Sword of the Ancients, allowing for He-Man, She-Ra, Zodak, and the others to finish the job.

The kingdoms were once more restored and the temporary alliances ended. Teela confessed to He-Man that she had made a mistake with Adam, and really loved He-Man. He-Man rebuked her feelings, knowing he couldn't risk having someone that close to him - but really knowing that it was Adam inside of him that was hurt by this.

Post-"The Crossroads of Destiny"

Adam/He-Man has made a few trips to Etheria to help out his twin sister. Skeletor as well crossed over to Etheria, re-kindling the hatred between he and Hordak.

On one such trip, during Adam and Adora's birthday, Skeletor was involved in a plan by Horde Prime to kill two Earth children who carried with them the spirit of Christmas (author's note: do I really need to tell you the true meaning of Christmas?) Despite the fact that Skeletor captured the children and planned to give them to Hordak and Horde Prime, the children's innocence and love touched Skeletor is ways he thought long dead. He defended them against the Horde and eventually aided He-Man and She-Ra in stopped the Horde. In the aftermath, Skeletor found something changed within him and has barely done anything since.


	2. Prelude

Prelude

"What is it? Report!"

Hordak said it too harshly, but he hated being awakened in the middle of the night by anyone - especially Mantenna. The bug-eyed Horde member stuttered a bit, annoying Hordak and placing him in a far worse mood than he was already in.

"It-It's Eternia, sir," Mantenna spoke, getting a grip on himself. "E-Every since the C-Christmas incident, you asked us to monitor the planet in case - "

"I'm well aware of my orders!" yelled Hordak. "What is it?"

Mantenna gulped and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "Sensors detecting an unusual fast-moving object in orbit."

"What do you mean?"

"It appeared for approximately one second, making it impossible for us to determine it's launch site and landing site. From what we can tell, it was a perfect orbit, going around the planet once."

"For only a second?" asked Hordak, a bit curious.

"Yes," Mantenna replied.

Hordak grumbled. "It must be a sensor error, you dolt! Nothing can make a complete orbit in only a second!" He smacked Mantenna in the head. "Wake me up with there's REAL news!"

Mantenna nodded, deciding it was best not to tell Hordak he had just checked the sensors. This was something - something powerful and something incredible. As Hordak stomped out of the room, Mantenna brought up the sensor information and slowed it down to the mili-second and watched it play out.

Observing it with his two large eyes, Mantenna began to see something in that object. It looked . . . it looked like a face . . .

***

The Sorceress snapped up from her slumber, her thoughts all a jumble. Something just happened. The spirit of Grayskull reached out and touched her - beckoning her to get up. She stood, and felt it. Putting on her outfit, she went to where she knew she was needed.

She ran down into the Throne Room - and stopped in her place. There, in the center of the chamber, was a large stone tablet. Carefully, she walked over to it and placed her hands upon it's words that were set in stone.

'First will come battle.

'Second will come darkness.

'Third will come unity.

'Fourth will come the fall.

'Fifth and final shall be the ending of all.'

The Sorceress fell to her knees, her whole body trembling at the words. This was a prophecy, created not only the spirit of Grayskull, but also the Elders and the Ancients. Great and terrible times were about to happen on Grayskull.

"No . . ." she muttered, hoping to find the strength within her to deny it.

After all that had happened. The return of King Hiss . . . the rising of the Great Towers . . . the Horde/Snake-Men War . . . Skeletor's taking of Grayskull . . . the Dark Cloud. For this - THIS - to smash her confidence so much was almost humiliating.

"I will be strong. I must be strong."

She fought the instinct to contact Prince Adam. Part of her knew that his knowledge of this prophecy would have nearly the same effect on him as it did on her. Although Adam had always been far more resilient about that sort of thing than she . . .

"No! I can not!" she yelled. "Curse you, Elders and Ancients! How dare you bring this upon us!"

But the Sorceress of Grayskull knew better than that. She did. The prophecy was not delivered as a threat . . . but as a warning.

Battle would come soon, followed by a time of darkness. Unity, which seemed strange to her, was next. And then - the fall, most likely of Grayskull. And then - the end of all on Eternia. Of all of this she knew for certain.

Dark days loomed ahead . . .


	3. Morning Stories

Chapter One

"Morning Stories"

The dirt began to churn - slowly at first, then fast and began to push up. The plants around it seemed to move away, as if knowing what was happening by sheer instinct. The dirt moved and swirled, allowing for a man to rise up from the earth.

Moss Man stood up from the ground, the plants now shifting towards him. He smiled and soaked in the pre-dawn air. The soil in this part of the Evergreen Forest was strong and fertile, causing him to become stronger just by walking on it. Soon, the sunlight would bath the area, and Moss Man would be in the full embrace of plant-life.

As Moss Man began to move to tree to tree, he began to hear a story. In a sketchy, slow voice that only Moss Man could understand, the trees and the plants of the Evergreen Forest began to relate to him a tale. A story. A tragedy that had occurred only two nights ago.

At hearing this story, Moss Man quickly went into action. He ran west, leaping over logs, swinging from friendly branches, carried by allied plants. His green heart pumped loudly within his chest as he sped towards his destination.

After swinging from eight trees, Moss Man landed at the source of the stories. He took one look with his yellow eyes and felt his mouth drop.

There was a five-mile radius of burnt trees before him. They were snapped down, charred, some of them incinerated. A howling, pre-dawn air silenced all animal life within the burnt circle. As Moss Man stepped between the dead trees - whose stories had gone silent - he sensed that the once exceedingly fertile land had been killed as well. All of the nutrients within were gone, leaving the ground dead and useless.

As Moss Man entered the center two miles, he noticed that more and more of the trees and plants that once stood here were actually just incinerated. While the others burned, these were completely wiped out. Once within the first mile, the land was now completely barren. And when Moss Man reached the center, the dirt was upturned and loose. Moss Man ran his fingers through the dirt and felt a part of him weaken.

The potential this place once had for growth and life was gone, never to return. It was obvious this was no natural act and he knew he had to report it to King Randor and Eternos. But first, the other trees and plants that were friends of the trees here needed to know what happened.

So Moss Man fell to his knees and let out a bellowing, tragic, story-telling cry that echoed through the air and reached all the trees and plants of the Evergreen Forest.

***

Adam awoke easily, his mind drifting from his dreams. He rubbed his eyes, the sleep falling from them as he did. The early morning sunlight was drifting through the windows of the Central Tower, helping him to come fully awake. His thoughts were somewhat chaotic and he was trying to figure out what exactly he was supposed to do today.

And then, of course, she walked into his mind. Teela. Adam thought of her nearly every morning since he moved out of the Palace. The way she talked, the sound of her voice, the feel of her skin and those sweet kisses that had shared . . .

Adam stopped himself, realizing just how long ago all that was. Eight? Ten Months? It wasn't a year - not yet. Ten months, just about on the dot. How much had changed since then.

After a few skirmishes with Hordak on Etheria since then, King Randor had noticed that while he his daughter was helping to lead a rebellion, his son was sleeping in and not doing much of anything. (Which wasn't exactly true - there was this little thing called 'turning into He-Man,' but of course, Randor knew nothing about that) Realizing that it was about time for Adam to start to be more responsible, he had Adam move into the Central Tower.

Which was something Adam had been more than grateful for. In truth, other than a few times, Skeletor seemed to be attacking far less than he had before. And it was about time for Adam to start taking his 'royal' duties seriously. Acting like a 21-year-old goof-off was getting old, even if he was only acting that way to dispel even the slightest possibility that he was He-Man. Taking command of the Great Towers in the Eternos and the Light Hemisphere was a good thing. And with his parents not around, it was easier to transform into He-Man when necessary.

Adam got dressed and looked at the agenda for a day. In two hours, there would be a meeting with other Heroic Warriors to discuss today's events and news of the week. He smiled a bit. That was good - it would give him time to do some reading.

He made for the monorail, which was on the next level and then set for Grayskull Tower. As the monorail circled Viper Tower, Adam fought back to sense of uneasiness. There was something about the Viper Tower that bothered Adam. It was sealed off from the rest of the Great Towers, so whatever was inside couldn't be reached. But often times, Adam that there was something - someone- within it, watching him and plotting against him.

Maybe it was just paranoia - maybe. But it wasn't exactly unfounded in his eyes. It was evil, this confirmed by the Sorceress when the Great Towers first rose. And it was common knowledge that if Skeletor, King Hiss, Hordak or any of the others took possession of the Great Towers, the Viper Tower would be unsealed. Of course, that meant that Grayskull Tower would be sealed.

When Adam reached Grayskull Tower, he pushed all of these thoughts out of his mind and thought of the escapism he was about to be apart of. He entered fully into the Grayskull Tower and made for the library.

Reading was something Adam had really found himself getting into. Although in the past in school he had hated it - like any other teenager - Adam appreciated the written word far more than the average Joe-Eternian.

He smiled when he saw the book he was currently in the middle of sitting on the table in the middle of the library. It was something of legend and myth, but so true that it couldn't be denied. The main character was easy to relate, simply because Adam was following in his footsteps. It was book that none other could read - but Adam could.

'He-Ro: Master of Skull Castle and Legend of Eternia.'

***

Thunder rolled and cracked above Snake Mountain, and the dark clouds sent streaks of lightning down to the ground. Centurions and Skull Warriors - both minions of Skeletor's - marched through the torrential downpour and into the warm caverns of Snake Mountain.

Evil Lynn oversaw their entrance alongside Tri-Klops, who was seemed uneasy. "It's been three months, Evil Lynn," he said to her. "Three months."

"Whatever happened to Skeletor is his own concern, not ours, Tri-Klops," Evil Lynn replied. "You may be bloodthirsty and ready for battle, but Skeletor is obviously not. Whatever those Earthlings did to him . . . whatever they brought out in him . . . it is his problem to deal with him."

"Bloodthirsty?" a voice questioned. "Tri-Klops, may just be. But I'm just impatient."

Evil Lynn turned around and saw King Hiss walk into the fortress. "What are you doing here, Hiss?" she asked, perking an eyebrow.

"I've come to meet with Skeletor," Hiss stated clearly. "There is much we need to talk about . . ."

Skeletor sat alone in his quarters and stared off into the chaotic storm. His thoughts were a jumble, much like this terrible weather, filled with destructive and loud events. He kept thinking back to the GOOD had he done with those Earth children during back in December. It had been - what? - five months? Yet, still, it disturbed him greatly.

Thoughts kept flowing through his head - if he had done good now, what if he had done good his entire life? How much would be different? His fingers touched his boney face, and a pang of loss feeling hit him in his stomach. His life was such a mess . . . since then.

"Skeletor?"

Skeletor looked up, barely even recognizing that name. Skeletor . . . Keldor . . . the man he once was . . .

He stood up.

"What? Hiss? What do you want?"

King Hiss folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "You're still disturbed by what happened with those alien children?"

"That's none of your business!" snapped Skeletor.

"Sssssss," hummed King Hiss. "I sssee. Sskeletor, we must speak. Something is happening. Is about to happen."

"What? What is it?"

"He'ssss back . . ."

"Who? Who's back . . . no."

King Hiss smiled and nodded. "Yes. Most certainly, he's returned."

Skeletor's heart leapt. This was exactly what he needed right now. "Yes . . . yes! His plan? Is it what he thought it would be?"

"Indeed. It's just beginning as we speak."

"Excellent!" Skeletor rose to full height and grabbed his Chaos Staff. "EVIL LYNN! ASSEMBLE THE TROOPS!"

"We're giving him time, then?"

Skeletor nodded, an old, evil grin appeared on his skull. "Yes. We are. He'll need it."


	4. Planetary Alerts

Chapter Two

"Planetary Alerts"

Clamp Champ stood at the edge of the burnt circle of trees and could smell the burnt remains of each and every kind of tree and plant. His super-senses were at work immediately, taking in the amount of destruction before him, telling him where it started and what did it just by smell and sight. He turned to Moss Man, whose heart looked heavy and eyes seemed to convey a very tragic feel.

"It was a fire," Clamp Champ said.

Moss Man's brooding features changed almost immediately. A smart-ass smile crossed his face and his stance loosened. "Obviously. I thought they said you were the greatest detective in the kingdom."

"Possibly the continent," Clamp Champ replied, feeling a bit arrogant. "But when I say 'fire' I don't mean the traditional 'fire.' This was something else. This was magic."

"How can you tell?"

"The nose knows," he laughed. "In any case, if there was just a regular forest fire, I would just be smelling burnt plant and possible trees remains. And I do. Except, there's something else. Something else was burnt up - something unnatural."

"What?" asked Moss Man, his voice filled with curiosity.

"I'm not sure. If you could be silent for a moment, I need to see if I can locate it. It's quite strong."

Clamp Champ took a few steps closer to the burnt circle, his nose gathering scents from all over the area. He pinned down the one that didn't fit and followed it. His eyes took control now, carefully searching on the ground that wasn't supposed to be on the forest floor.

He found it. It was at the very edge of the circle, and it looked like sand. As Clamp Champ began to follow it, he soon realized it surrounded the entire circle.

"Got it," he said with satisfaction.

"What is it?" Moss Man questioned from behind.

"I don't know. Yet." Clamp Champ pulled his large clamp device from his back and pressed a few buttons on the top.

"Um, what are you doing?" asked Moss Man. "Are you going to clamp it?"

"No. I'm taking a sample, and then my clamp is going to analyze it for me."

A smaller clamp dropped from the device and took a sample, and pulled back in. A small screen poped up then and the analysis began.

"It'll take a few minutes for the sample to be processed," Clamp Champ stated. He then looked over at Moss Man, who was once more looking sadly at the dead circle. It was bothering him, deeply, and was obviously the cause of much grief. Clamp Champ had to admit some surprise at this.

It was a terrible loss to be sure, but to be this broken up about it - well, it was strange to see. Just what was Moss Man's ability other than control and communication with plants? What was there that he didn't know about?

"Moss Man?"

Moss Man looked over to the dark-skinned detective. "Yes?"

"How did you become the way you are?"

Moss Man nodded to himself, smiled, and chuckled. "The same way many of the Heroic Warriors became who they are. We were chosen by fate and by our own will to become who and what we are."

Clamp Champ sighed. "Sounds good enough to me."

Moss Man could tell the detective wanted more, but decided it was best not to say more on his origin. "I was chosen to guard plant life from those that were would wish it harm like Skeletor. Or those that would take control of it like Evilseed."

At this, Clamp Champ seemed a bit confused. "Take control? What do you mean? Don't you control the plants?"

"No," Moss Man laughed. "I merely request the plants to do as I ask. I force nothing and do not control them. They are . . . not unlike brothers and sisters to me."

Once more, he looked sadly out into the destruction and sighed with a heavy heart. Clamp Champ found himself respecting Moss Man a bit more. It then his clamp-computer began to beep. Clamp Champ looked at the display and his eyes grew wide.

"What is the answer? What is this material?"

"It's the dust of a shattered Singing Crystal from the Crystal Caves. Someone must have snuck in, stole one of the Singing Crystals, shattered it and used it here. But the only reason I can think of as to why someone would do that is to summon someone or something."

"But who? What?"

Clamp Champ looked around them at the trees and plants that stood outside the circle. "Could you ask the trees?"

Moss Man nodded and placed his hand on a nearby Oak. His yellow eyes brightened as his communicated through the branches and the roots and outwards to all of the trees and the plants around them. Clamp Champ watched as the plantlife seemed to sway, as if a wind were blowing through. But there was no wind, not even a slight breeze.

After a few long moments, the communication ended and Moss Man looked over at the detective. "I had to talk to a lot of them, but a young pine says that there was a man here, standing alongside the blaze. And that there seemed to be something within the blaze that moved like a man."

"No visuals?"

"None."

"Well, at least we're getting some where . . ."

***

Teela squared her shoulders and made sure to check the mirror as she left the confines of her bedroom. Her heart picked up its pace as she made her way down the stairs. King Randor had just called an emergency meeting, and that meant Prince Adam was well on his way. She still felt nervous seeing after what had happened last year.

The pair had barely seen each other outside of work reasons for the past three months. It was a bit disconcerting, to say the least, considering that the two had been inseparable for years. It was part of growing, she supposed, but she had hoped so much that despite the fact that she broke his heart, he would still be an active part of her life.

Yeah, right.

It wasn't long after Adam and Adora's birthday that Adam had leapt at the chance to move out of Eternos and into the Central Tower of the Great Towers. Teela couldn't help but feel like she was part of that decision. Part of her did care deeply for him, even if she didn't love him like she had confessed. Their bond was something . . . different that any other.

She had shelved her thoughts about He-Man at that moment. She had told him of her feelings not long before she had been truthful with Adam. He rejected her, telling her that she couldn't be safe in such a vulnerable position.

Teela could have argued with him, but knew her heart it was useless. There was no point in arguing that sort of thing with He-Man.

And even He-Man seemed to be around less and less than before.

Teela, though, pushed all of these thoughts away as she neared the city gates. Adam and Cringer had just walked and she felt a smile cross her face as she walked up to him.

"Adam!"

Adam looked over and returned her smile. "Hey, Teela," he greeted and the two walked side-by-side.

"How have you been?"

"Um, okay, okay. I'm really liking the whole leadership stuff."

"Well, it's good to know that all of my lessons didn't go unheard."

Adam nodded. "Yeah, I suppose."

"Uh," Teela started, not quite sure how to word what she was about to say, "I was wondering if you wanted to go out for some dinner later."

"Um, yeah, sure thing."

"Dinner!" shouted Cringer. "Great! I'm starving!"

***

"So, what'd you say?"

Mekaneck smiled and lifted his head up from the rock formation to get a good look at what was in the distance. He said nothing, much to Sy-Klone's chagrin. "That's for me to know and you to whine about not knowing."

"What did you say to her?" asked Sy-Klone again, his voice echoing from below on a small gust of upward-moving wind.

"Hmmmm, is that whining I hear? Yeah, I think it is," Mekaneck replied, lowering his head back down to his shoulders. "Seriously, though, it wasn't much. Just dinner and a nightcap."

"And you didn't show up until breakfast, I might add! What kind of nightcap was that?"

Mekaneck leaned against the rocks. "The kind that tells you why Phillip spent the weekend with his aunt."

Sy-Klone smirked. "That serious, huh? Wow. Never figured you to . . ." He trailed off as sounds began to carry on the wind.

"What? What is it?"

"Take another look. Do it!"

Mekaneck shot his head up and looked across the horizon towards Snake Mountain - and saw objects well on their way. "Looks like a full force."

The pair leapt off the rocks and jumped into the Talon Fighter. Sy-Klone activated the controls and they shot into the sky, well ahead of the opposition.

"Where are they heading?" asked Mekaneck.

"Accounting for current wind conditions, it's obvious they're not going to Grayskull," Sy-Klone replied. "It looks more like they're heading for . . . Eternos."

"I'll contact Man-At-Arms, then."

***

"There are a number of strange occurrences - all of which have me ill at ease," Randor told the group before him. "Besides the current tension between many of the kingdoms, there have been reports of odd happenings throughout Eternia."

Adam nodded. He knew about the tension - many of the kingdoms involved in the Dark Cloud defensive armies were angered by the kingdoms that weren't. Despite the fact that location and time were a key, twelve known kingdoms had been unable to join in against the Dark Cloud. While Eternos, Avion and Insectia had no problem with that, many others did. It made for a tense situation - one that made no promise for swift resolve.

But the strange happenings were different. This was something he wasn't aware of. "What kind of strange events?" he asked.

Randor waved to Man-At-Arms. Man-At-Arms nodded. "Yesterday, Moss Man discovered a five-mile radius of burnt and incinerated trees and plant-life in the Evergreen Forest. He and Clamp Champ are still investigating, but it looks like it was part of some sort of spell. But that's just the beginning . . ."

"What else is there?" asked Teela, who was as well unaware of this apparently.

"Rio Blast?" asked Man-At-Arms.

The cowboy nodded and stood. "I've been noticing over the past few days that there's been somethin' botherin' the animals."

"How's that?" wondered Adam. "Bothered how?"

"I've been talking to some of the other ranchers and we've all noticed a certain aggressiveness with the animals. And I'm not talking about just plain ol' meanness. They're scared of something. Something is spookin' them."

Adam grew a bit restless. Randor spoke again. "There are two more things."

Man-At-Arms elaborated. "We've been picking up energy spikes all across the globe. They seem to be at random, but have been occuring for the past three days and intensifying in both strength and number. These energy spikes are unlike any we've seen before. They seem to be causing some sort of atmospheric shift."

"Atmospheric shift?"

"A storm," answered Randor. "One that has been brewing over the Ocean of Gnarl for days and, if our reports from the weather stations and meteorologists are correct, it could very easily cover this entire planet in a matter of days."

"For how long?"

"A few days. There are storms like these on record," Marlena interjected. "World-wide, entire planet storms. It's not very uncommon, but only seems to happen once or twice a century."

"It could just be that we're jumping at shadows, but I have a feeling there's more to it than just that," Man-At-Arms admitted.

Just then, there was a knock at the doors, followed by the entrance of a Royal Soldier. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, sirs, sires, but we have just received word for Mekaneck and Sy-Klone while they were on scouting patrol. Skeletor, King Hiss and their minions are one their way here to Eternos."

Everyone rose for the table. "Sound the alarms," Randor ordered.

"Have all civilians take shelter," Marlena added.

"Order all soldiers to their places," Teela yelled.

"Assemble the Heroic Warriors and send for possible reinforcements from the Central Tower," Man-At-Arms barked.

"I'll go find He-Man!" Adam said.

"Good idea, son," Randor told him. "Then get yourself to the Towers. I need you to maintain command of them throughout this battle."

As the group exited the great meeting hall, Adam laughed to himself. And then, making sure that both he and Cringer were in a secure location, lifted up his Power Sword.


	5. Distractions

Chapter Three

"Distractions"

Sitting in his chambers within Stone Mountain, concern filled the wizard named Malik. It had happened at last. His enemy - his greatest enemy - had returned, stronger and more devious than ever. The Spirit of Evil. A bodiless entity, whose interest were in souls and took them to his home dimension when he given up to him.

Some time ago, for the heart of a woman named Teela, Malik nearly gave up his own soul to have her. But it was the intervention of Kareen and her pure, loving spirit that changed his mind and caused the Spirit of Evil to be vanquished that day - with the help of He-Man, of course.

But if his sources were correct, and if what had happened in the Evergreen Forest was an indication, then it meant that the Spirit of Evil had indeed returned to Eternia.

His agenda was unknown, his plans left a mystery. But as Malik called for Kareen to aid him, that wouldn't last for long . . .

***

Man-At-Arms looked out towards the horizon through his binoculars, watching as the evil forces from Snake Mountain charged towards Eternos. "There they are," he said to He-Man.

"Yeah," replied He-Man. "But this doesn't make any sense. Why would Skeletor chose now to attack? The Sorceress hasn't warned me of some sort device or force he's carrying. And I asked Moss Man and Clamp Champ to stop by Grayskull and keep an eye on it. They reported that there was nothing out of the ordinary."

"But there's a full force here, He-Man. Even King Hiss is with Skeletor on this one. Maybe he's just trying something different. You know Skeletor."

"Do I?" asked He-Man. "Duncan, something changed him after he spent so much time with those Earth children. Sure, he's done his thing on Etheria - trying to steal Horde Prime's ship and whatnot - but there's definitely been a change."

"Well, whatever it is, we'll figure it out in a moment."

There was a sudden explosion as the Evil Warriors and the Snake Men arrived within striking distance. Man-At-Arms gave the attack order and He-Man led the assault.

There seemed to be only a second-long pause as the two forces collided into each other. The battle quickly came together, fists and weapons hitting their opponents.

Man-At-Arms blasted Beast-Man with his energy beam, the feral warrior staggering backwards from the impact. Beast-Man then leapt forward, claws ready to scratch Man-At-Arms' eyes out. Man-At-Arms, though, swung around and bashed Beast-Man in the face with his club.

Clawful swept forward, his large pincer coming dangerously close to Ram-Man's arm. Ram-Man launched himself forward, smashing his head against Clawful's chest. Clawful went flying backwards and Ram-Man smiled at his success. Yet, as soon as he turned his back on Clawful, he felt the pincer grasp his helmet. Ram-Man leapt up, suddenly, causing Clawful to go up with him. Clawful released and slammed to the ground.

Locked in combat not terribly far away were Fisto and Jitsu, who neither seemed to be gaining much of an advantage. Fisto's face stung as Jitsu's golden jab came sailing through the air. About to return the favor, Jitsu slammed his hand into Fisto's gut, causing him to double over. Jitsu was about claim victory - when Ram-Man rushed over and slammed into Jitsu's back.

"I'm gonna get ya!" shouted Clawful then, who was making for Ram-Man. Fisto smiled and SLAMMED his fist right into Jitsu, sending the Evil Warrior into the air - and right into Clawful. The two were down.

Roboto, on the other hand, was finding it hard to handle Whiplash's destructive tail as he smashed and bashed into him. But each time, Roboto took precise calculations and sensor readings. The tail was strong, filled with muscles and moving very fast as it bashed him. But Roboto was now ready for it. As Whiplash swung it around one more time - Roboto struck it at just the right spot. The tail snapped back, and then Roboto grabbed hold of it and applied just enough force and pull to knock Whiplash around and then - unconscious.

Rio Blast was having a hard-as-hell time getting any good shots from his wrist laser against Spikor. The spiked villain was capable of blocking Rio Blasts every attack. His trident flew out and destroyed his wrist-lasers, and then he grabbed Rio Blast by the neck and pulled him forward. This was his downfall, and Rio Blast's opportunity. His chest opened up - revealing twin missiles. They shot forward - knocking Spikor back, and then exploding.

Extendar leapt back as Two-Bad charged at him. He threw out his hand - which punched Two-Bad in the . . . er, blue . . . face. His other punched the other face, and Two-Bad staggered back. This gave Extendar a chance to grow tall, and then send both of his fists down and knock both their heads.

While Stonedar shrugged of laser beams from Trap-Jaw, Snake-Face confronted Rokkon. Rokkon charged towards, weapons ready. Snake-Face hissed, then his sockets filled with the tiny red snakes. The effect came across Rokkon, turning him into stone, freezing him in his steps. And then, much to Snake-Face's shock, Rokkon started to move once more.

"How is this possible?"

"I'm already made of stone, you moron," Rokkon replied, turning into his rock shape. He shot forward and slammed right into Snake-Face. The Snake Man flew backwards, and right into Webstor, who had just been totally soaked thanks to Snout Spout.

Stratos soared through the air, avoiding the long arms of Sssqueeze, but just barely. He glanced over at Buzz-Off, who was having a lot of trouble with Tung Lashor. The two met eyes, and a plan was in motion. They shot right towards each other, coming within inches. Sssqueeze's arms and Tung Lashor's tongue followed- and were suddenly tangled up with the other!

He-Man clanged his sword against Skeletor's Chaos Staff, and then drew back and blocked a beam from King Hiss. There was something not right about this. Skeletor and King Hiss were both taking on the champion of Grayskull - and losing! He had fought them both before, many times, and knew when they were holding back. This was won of those times.

He shouldered Skeletor in the gut, sending the blue master of Snake Mountain into a big mud puddle. He-Man then kicked King Hiss in the head (he wasn't even out of his human skin!) and the Snake leader crumbled.

He-Man quickly glanced at the walls of Eternos and saw that Teela, Lubic and the rest of the Royal Soldiers were giving Evil-Lynn, Saurod, Blade, Rattlor, and Stinkor a run for their money.

"You've won this time!" shouted Skeletor, waving his Chaos Staff in a sign of retreat. The others began to pull back, laying down cover fire for each other. "Retreat!"

They all ran for their vehicles, still laying down cover fire. 

As they began to move off, Man-At-Arms rushed to He-Man's side. "What was all that about? I've seen a battle like that before!"

"It was a distraction," He-Man stated matter-of-factly. "There's something else going on here and they didn't want us to find out."

"Do you know what for?"

"No . . . but I intend on finding out."

***

A little later, after returning to Snake Mountain, Skeletor made for his quarters. His earlier feelings that had been brought out a few months by those terrible pathetic Earth children were squashed, and locked away with anticipation of the event that would soon occur. He consulted his books, studying and preparing for was going to happen.

After a few moments, there was a rap at his door. He stood and opened it, surprised to see King Hiss standing there. "What is it?"

"We have a guest."

Skeletor nodded and followed King Hiss through the long and dim-lit tunnels of Snake Mountain and arrived in the Meeting Room.

A man sat at the end of the table, dressed in red robes. "Locus, summoner of the Spirit of Evil," Skeletor greeted.

"Skeletor, ruler of Snake Mountain," Locus returned. "My master is interested in your role in his up-coming plans."

"How so?" asked Skeletor, rapping his fingers on the arm of his throne.

Locus leaned forward. "When this happens, Skeletor, there will be a chance for all those out there that serve the forces of darkness to take a stand and take Eternia for themselves. You and King Hiss are both very powerful and my master sees you as equals. It is for this reason . . . that you shall be his allies as well. Your willingness to keep the forces of good distracted while he continues his work has proven you worthy to him."

Skeletor nodded. "I like the sound of this, Locus. Tell us more . . ."


	6. Falling into Place

Chapter Four

"Falling into Place"

Rain poured down upon the Great Towers that late hour. Adam couldn't sleep, considering all the chaos on Eternia. It had been three days since the distractionary battle at Eternos and there were no leads - not a single one. Cringer, who had been inexplicably nervous and antsy, joined Adam at the window.

"Can't sleep either, eh Cringer?" asked Adam, scratching the old tiger's head.

"Nope," Cringer replied. "Hungry though."

Adam smiled and nodded. "Me too."

The pair walked towards the kitchen, which wasn't too far away. Much to their surprise, Gwildor was there as well, munching on a few snacks.

"Gwildor? What are you doing here?" questioned Adam.

"I'm hungry," Gwildor replied. "I've been working in the lab. Something's wrong with the Cosmic Key."

Adam perked an eyebrow. "How so?"

"The gravitational alignments within Eternia are disrupting the Keys. The harmonic resonance is all off. I can't teleport anywhere due the resonance."

"Gravitational alignments?" questioned Adam.

Gwildor shrugged. "The core of Eternia! It's gravitational center is disrupted! I don't know why and I double-checked all of my equipment. I can't find anything wrong with it. It's like something within the heart of Eternia has gone crazy!"

Adam rubbed his chin. "I'm not totally surprised, to be honest. Considering all that's been happening, Eternia has been one step closer to chaos. But still . . ."

"There must be a connection!" Gwildor yelped. "I can't think of any other explanation!"

"Alright, calm down Gwildor. We'll assemble with the others tomorrow morning. Get your notes together and let's see if there's a connection."

***

Back at Eternos, which was also being pelted with rain, the Royal Archeologist Melaktha stretched his arms and yawned. It was late, and he should have gone to bed. But Man-At-Arms had asked him to look up any information regarding this storm. It had now covered the entire planet and the Royal Family was concerned for the safety of the world. There were, historically, records of such storms - though they were far and few in between.

As he thumbed through one of his history books, Melaktha found something that looked familiar. It was a map of Eternia, which showed known locations of the Ancients' landmarks and cities. There was something quite familiar about it . . .

Melaktha marked the page and found a map of the locations of the energy spikes. Some of the places that there was energy spikes were the same places as the old cities and landmarks. But there was still some missing. Of all the nearly two hundred energy spikes indicated, there were only eighty accounted for with the Ancient's cities and landmarks.

But he had an idea. He grabbed some tectonic plate maps and matched them up with the energy spikes and the Ancients findings. They matched, but only accounted for one hundred fifty of the energy spikes. They were another forty-to-fifty unaccounted for.

With a sudden burst of inspiration, Melaktha pulled out a map of the deepest caverns and tunnels on Eternia. He matched them up with the landmarks/cities, the tectonic plates, and the energy spikes . . . and found it.

"I've got it!" shouted Melaktha, standing up.

His assistant boy, Stanlin, awoke and rubbed his eyes. "Got what? What's going on?"

"The energy spikes! They're coinciding with the location of the Ancient's ruins, the deepest-reaching tunnels and caverns on Eternia, and the tectonic plates! Quickly, Stanlin! Wake Hovar!"

Stanlin blinked, wondering why Melaktha wanted the Royal Historian up at this hour. He mulled this over as he knocked loudly on Hovar's door. 

"Yes?" yawned Hovar, opening the door. "Stanlin? Oh what does he want now . . . ?"

Stanlin shrugged. "I don't know, sir. He's going on about the energy spikes now."

Hovar pulled on a robe and followed Stanlin into the library, where Melaktha was comparing maps and inputting them into the computer. "What's all this about, Melaktha?"

"I've made serious progress in the study of the energy spikes. They all align with the tectonic plates, the deepest caverns and tunnels, and the known ruins of the Ancients."

Hovar nodded, beginning to feel his drowsiness fade with the importance of the new development. "Alright . . . okay. Can you bring that up on the computer?"

Melaktha keyed in the correct buttons and the map of the corresponding areas of energy spikes appeared. Hovar took a long look at it, curious. There seemed to be more to this. Why these areas? Why were these designated above any others?

There was a sudden rumble of thunder, followed by flash of lightning. The storm raged outside, as well as all across Eternia. There was something eerie about that that bothered Hovar. But there something about it that seemed to important to what they were seeing.

"Melaktha, can bring up the correct storm maps and correspond it with the energy spikes?"

"Sure," Melaktha replied, hitting a few keys.

The storm map appeared on the screen, with the energy spikes mapped in white dots. Hovar noticed nothing new about this, but there was something vaguely familiar about it.

"Can you render that image so it's projected onto a sphere? Like how would look like from space?"

Melaktha shrugged. "Okay, but I'm not sure what it's going to prove . . ."

"Trust me. I've got an idea."

The image distorted and rounded before their eyes on the screen. The energy spikes laid across the storm . . . forming into something both Melaktha and Hovar were very well aware of.

"By the Ancients . . ."

"Literally."

***

Dawn was breaking over the Dark Hemisphere, though through the storm clouds and the usual murkiness, it could hardly be known. Locus stood at the edge of the open mouth of Snake Mountain. He prepared himself, his mind reaching out . . . and coming into contact with the one he wished to speak with.

_Master, all has gone as planned. The forces are moving, as you have begun,_ Locus reported.

_Excellent, Locus. There will be a great reward for you when this is over,_ replied the Spirit of Evil. _What happens now will change Eternia forever. Evil will eclipse good . . . once and for all._

The contact ended and Locus turned his attention to Skeletor and King Hiss, who both stood at the edge of the entrance. 

"What does he say?" asked Skeletor.

"My master has nearly finished his task. He only awaits for one last piece to fall into place," Locus reported. "In the meantime, I would begin to get the word out to any and all allies of yours. I swear to you now, Skeletor and King Hiss, Eternia will fall to the forces of darkness in less than fifteen days."

***  


Clamp Champ and Moss Man walked down the corridor, both curious as to what this meeting was going to reveal that they hadn't already known. Entering into the Meeting Hall, they found Prince Adam, Gwildor, Man-At-Arms, King Randor, Queen Marlena, Rio Blast, and Teela all waiting for them.

"Sorry if we're late," apologized Clamp Champ.

"It's alright," Adam told them. "We're still actually waiting on Hovar and Melaktha."

"The Royal Archeologist and the Royal Historian?" questioned Moss Man. "Why? I don't understand. How does this involve them?"

"You'll find out," Man-At-Arms answered. Moss Man nodded, succumbing to patience.

It was then that Hovar and Melaktha walked in and took a seat at the table. "Sorry," Melaktha said swiftly. "We were just finishing gathering notes."

Randor nodded and raised his hand slightly, forgiving the two. "It's alright. Understandable. I think it best if we recap and compare notes. Rio Blast? You go first?"

Rio Blast nodded and stood up. "About ten days ago, the animals in my herd started acting funny. Aggressive, but not angry. Scared. And it's been growing since then. I've spoken to some of my comrades and they said they've heard the same thing all across the Fertile Plains. Animals, getting scared of absolutely nothin.' Jumpin' at shadows. No explanation, not a one."

Randor turned to Moss Man and Clamp Champ. "About the same time as the event in the Evergreen Forest?"

"Yes," Moss Man answered. "Clamp Champ concluded that the five-mile burn radius was a result of a spell. After speaking to the trees, they claim that a man brought the fire and a being MADE of fire came forth from the flames."

"The circle of fire was outlined with dust from a shattered Singing Crystal from the Crystal Caves," followed up Clamp Champ.

"A connection?" wondered Adam. "The animals get spooked right around the time this being made of fire is supposedly summoned in the Evergreen Forest?"

"Perhaps," Man-At-Arms replied. "But there is still another, bigger piece to this puzzle. Hovar? Melaktha?"

Hovar turned on the holographic projection, an image of Eternia appearing above the table. The storm was raging across its atmosphere, making nearly all of the land and seas impossible to view. "Last night, Melaktha was cross-referencing some data regarding the correct planet-wide storm when he stumbled across a number of connections between the ruins of the Ancients, deep caverns and tectonic plates - connections that matched up with the energy spikes that we've been detecting."

Melaktha stood up. "I summoned Hovar immediately and that's when we started to make a connection. We placed the energy spikes and the outline they were creating with the landmarks onto the current storm. There's a definite image, but it'll be difficult for those you not as well versed with the marking of the Ancients to see. But luckily, the image is easier to see in Doppler."

The hologram of Eternia changed. White spikes appeared along the planet and lines connected them. And the storm cloud changed, reformatted into Doppler RADAR - which showed wind speeds, cloud cover, rain amounts, and lightning strikes in comparative colors.

The image became clear then and everyone gasped.

There, on the surface of Eternia, was a man. His was huge, with four large arms and long beard and hair. His body was outlined by the energy spikes and the storm's Doppler RADAR allowed for the perception of depth to his form.

"Procrustus," muttered Moss Man.

Marlena was a bit confused. "I'm a little lost," she confessed. "I'm afraid I'm behind in my Eternian mythology. Who is Procrustus?"

"Procrustus," began Hovar, "was one of the Ancients. Before the unknown beginning of the First Age, but at the end of the time of Preternia - the Ancients chose to create two different halves of Eternia. The Dark Hemisphere, where Evil resides. And the Light Hemisphere, where Good resides. To keep the two halves from blasting apart from each other, legend tells of Procrustus, the Ancient that moved into the center of Eternia and holds the planet together."

"And now he's in danger," Teela said then, with a strange knowingness in her voice. "Look at him. He's crying out for help."

The others eyed her oddly, for how and why Teela would have picked up on such a fact was strange for her. But after she said that, it seemed apparent. The face was Procrustus was of distress.

"That explains the gravitational realignment," Gwildor stated. "The Cosmic Key has been unable to match the harmonics of Eternia because the core of the planet was changing. Something IS happening to Eternia - and Procrustus."

"But what? And by whom?" asked Clamp Champ. "And what does it have to do with what happened in the Evergreen Forest and the spooked animals?"

"It has EVERYTHING to do with the fire and the animals," a voice said suddenly.

Everyone looked to the door and saw the Wizard of Stone Mountain himself, Malik, enter with his assistant Kareen.

"Malik?"

"My apologies, you highness," stated Malik. "I know I am uninvited, but I have come bearing news regarding the subject at hand."

Randor paused for a moment, taking it all in. "Apology accepted and you are forgiven. Now, please, share with us what you have learned."

Malik nodded and sat down at the table with Kareen. "The Ancients have had many enemies. One of which was the Spirit of Evil. When the Ancients went their separate ways at the end of the First Age, the Spirit of Evil was banished. But, in recent times, it has emerged from time-to-time looking for souls to steal - including my own. It can be defeated and recently was by He-Man and myself.

"Yet, it has returned. Moss Man, Clamp Champ - it was in the Evergreen Forest that Locus summoned the Spirit of Evil using the shattered Singing Crystal. The presence of the Spirit of Evil has been what is scaring the animals, Rio Blast. It was released and went about a new task. It yearned to destroy the one Ancient still on Eternia."

"Procrustus," Adam assumed.

"That's right. Without the other Ancients, Procrustus is no match for the Spirit of Evil. It intends on kill Procrustus."

"Wait a minute," interrupted Man-At-Arms. "Killing Procrustus would destroy Eternia."

Malik shook his head. "No, not exactly. You see, after Procrustus is killed, the Spirit of Evil would assume his position. But instead of maintaining the Light and Dark Hemispheres, the Spirit of Evil intends on merging them."

Randor's jaw went slack. "He's going to kill Procrustus, and then transform the Light Hemisphere into another Dark Hemisphere?"

Malik continued. "And if he does, then all of Eternia will change in dark and evil ways. Nothing will be the same. He'll use this all-evil Eternia to spread his darkness across the universe. Right now, Procrustus is holding his own. But it won't last more than a few days."

"Is there anyway to defeat the Spirit of Evil?" asked Marlena.

"Only one weapon - the Sword of the Ancients."

Teela's heart jumped. The Sword of the Ancients was given to her, and sat locked in her quarters. Automatically, she knew that the fate of Eternia rested in her hands.


	7. The Mines of Alluray

Author's Note: Just as a slight warning, this chapters makes a small reference to my up-coming short story "Elfsong of Eternia." Enjoy!

Chapter Five

"The Mines of Alluray"

Teela walked into her quarters, and her eyes immediately fell upon the trunk at the end of her bed. She pulled out of a set of keys, unlocked it, threw it open and took a deep breath at the sight within. Wrapped in a white sheet was the Sword of the Ancients, the blade that was forged by the Ancients during the First Age. There were a number of fakes that had come over the years, including two that He-Man and Teela had though were real.

But this, as she held it in her arms, was the real thing.

She swung it around, her sword skills quite good. Not as good as she was with a staff, but still good enough to be considered a little more than an expert. Better than Adam was, anyways. Teela's mind reeled back to when they found this sword together and the kisses and words they shared right before hand.

Secretly, Teela wished that she and He-Man or she and Adam were going on this mission alone. There were a lot of unresolved feelings between the three of them. She wasn't sure how either Adam or He-Man had been acting towards each other since the news of emotional confusion got out, but she guessed it wasn't good.

It didn't really matter.

It was funny, because she had so rarely seen them together. Teela had a hard time remembering any exact moment, but oh well . . .

Teela was hoping for Adam alone so that they would have a chance to mend their shattered friendship. Their bonds, their former closeness that they had grown up with was pretty much gone when she told him that she didn't love him. With He-Man, she deluded herself into thinking that maybe he would come around and look for a loving a relationship with her.

Neither would happen, of course, knowing that they would joined with Mekaneck, Ram-Man, Snout Spout, Roboto and her father.

"Stifle those thoughts, Teela, put them away," she told herself aloud. Teela put a few essentials into her pack, put the Sword of the Ancients in a safe holster, picked up her staff and left her quarters.

Shortly, she joined the others in the launch room, where Malik stood with He-Man, the pair exchanging a few words with King Randor.

"Where's Adam?" she asked.

"He, Cringer, and Orko are going to be doing some scouting while we're away," Man-At-Arms replied. "I thought it best to keep an eye on Snake Mountain since all this is happening."

The large bay door suddenly opened. It was time. Malik and Kareen would be joining them on their way to Alluray. Alluray was the ruins of the great Dwarf city long abandoned during the Second Age when the Dwarves mysteriously vanished. Alluray was settled between high-rising mountain edge of the Ice Mountains and the Mystic Mountains. 

The Dwarves had dung the farthest into Eternia, and many, many legends believed that they had actually reached the heart of the planet. Whatever the case, it seemed the best and most secure route.

"Good journey," King Randor wished as the two Talon Fighters filled with Heroic Warriors. "And good luck."

He-Man nodded. "Thanks. We'll need it."

The Talon Fighters launched from the bay and into the stormy sky. Immediately, they were pummeled with rain and wind. It would be a long flight, so everyone figured it would be good to stir up some conversation. While Teela, Ram-Man, Mekaneck, and Snout Spout chatted about how strange Earth had seemed (after two visits in the past year), He-Man was curious about Alluray.

"Malik," He-Man addressed, "I suppose I'm not up on Eternian legends as I thought I was. What ever happened to Dwarves?"

"Nobody knows, He-Man. It is said that the Elves may know, but the Elves are about as secretive as anyone can get. The Dwarves were well-known for supplying much of Eternia with gold, silvers, and many other minerals. Alluray is located in one the finest mineral deposits. All of their digging brought them much wealth. I have even heard rumor that they grew TOO wealthy and were slaughtered in a great war."

"The same was said about the Elves," Man-At-Arms noted. "But we all know what really happened to them."

"Rumors of slaughter are hard to believe. Entire races are hard to make extinct. No, I believe they left Eternia somehow."

He-Man perked an eyebrow as a flash of lightning struck before the Talon Fighter. "How so?"

"They reached the core of Eternia, He-Man. Do you know how much that is? How many rocks and minerals?" questioned Malik.

"A lot, I imagine. And they probably got bored of it," He-Man answered.

"Yes. Perhaps, then, they realized they should leave Eternia. They may have opened a portal to another dimension or another planet and left. That is what I believe."

He-Man nodded. It was then that Man-At-Arms began to set the Talon Fighter down. They had arrived.

As the rain poured down upon them, the Heroic Warriors exited and loaded up their gear onto their backs. They had landed in the center of the abandoned city of Alluray. Ruins of buildings and structures were all around them, the grass high in the mid-spring month. Moss and mold had grown high onto the ruins, and the air was very sad. It seemed like these were to be abandoned forever.

"According the texts I made myself familiar with," Kareen began, "this was the city center. The marketplaces are to the east and west so that means the mine entrance is to the north. This way."

The group followed Kareen down what was once a road. The once obviously paved road was now covered in grass, the rocks overgrown and broken after years of weather and no care. They followed the road for about half an hour until the ruins seemed to be more and more in decay. The mountains that stood to the north of the city grew closer and closer and after another hour, they had arrived at them.

Kareen glanced at a map that she had kept in her pouch and through the drenching rain, sought the tunnel that would lead them to Procrustus.

"Many of these mines intersect with each other, but your best bet would be . . . here."

She pointed to a mine entrance nearly ten miles away at the base of one of the taller mountains. There were many passes between mountains, so it wasn't hard to get from one of the other. There were ruins along the passes, signifying that many of the miners didn't bother to come home, they just remained by the mines.

"We have arrived," Kareen announced.

Before them was a large set of stairs that led to a huge entrance into the mine. "This will be the mine that will take down into heart of Eternia," Malik followed-up. He handed them a map. "This map will be your guide. You must hurry. I believe that Procrustus only has another three to four days before the Spirit of Evil overcomes him."

"Good journey," wished Kareen.

"Thank you," Man-At-Arms replied. "Good journey."

The same was exchanged all around, and then the Heroic Warriors left Malik and Kareen. Up the large stairs they. The stairs were obviously built by Dwarves and required those of shorter stature to master them. But the Heroic Warriors were up to it.

Once at the top of the stairs, the entrance to the mine was laid out before them. There were decaying and broken statues around the entrance, but they paid little heed to them. He-Man lead Man-At-Arms, Teela, Snout Spout, Ram-Man, Mekaneck, and Roboto inside and finally out of the rain.

There wasn't much to the first room of the mine except for three doors. A swing of the flashlight revealed that both chambers beyond the doors to the left and the right were both caved in. The center door was clear. Luckily, it was the one they wanted. As they came to the door, Man-At-Arms pulled out a small capsule from his belt. There was a set a stairs before them that lead down under the mountain.

He pressed a small button on the end of the capsule and it suddenly floated about a foot up from the ground. It lit up, shining light upon the stairs as it floated it ahead. It would guide their way.

"I'll go first," He-Man volunteered.

The capsule, which was some ten to fifteen feet in front of them, stopped as He-Man began to walk through. It would maintain this distance unless Man-At-Arms said different. He-Man put his first foot onto the first step and moved forward. It wasn't small, like that of the Dwarf stairs outside. These were a good portion larger and allowed for more comfort.

As the others followed He-Man, it was soon discovered that stairs were in open air, no walls around it for many meters. Roboto conducted scans, but couldn't be more thorough. It seemed that what Kareen had said was correct. Many of the tunnels intersected and this seemed to be the hub. There were stone bridges and stairs and doors all around them in the darkness.

A musty smell filled their noses, and a sudden reminder of just how old this place was came across their minds. No one spoke except for the occasional warning for broken steps. For some reason, it just felt appropriate to not say anything right now. Echoes of their voices reverberated off the walls, as did the sound of a stone falling into the abyss below.

The capsule - the flare - showed their way, guiding them forward from step to step, and the occasional landing. On these landings were what looking like the remains of gantries and pulleys. Every now and then they would comes across dusty buckets, discarded chains and the very occasional axe, pick or shovel.

After five hours of walking down these stairs, they reached a large door. The capsule-flare lit the way inside and quickly displayed a gigantic room, filled with many numbers of other doors. Old tables and tablets were laid out across the room, discarded and covered in dust. Large boulders and rocks lay fallen among tools and carts.

The entire chamber was lifeless and it felt sort of sad as the Heroic Warriors carefully walked through it. Man-At-Arms pointed to a door towards the back of the round chamber and they all marched towards it. The chamber was huge, and it took them nearly an hour to get from the entrance to their desired door.

The door served as an entrance to a very long and winding corridor that would go on for some time. According to the map, it would intersect with a few other corridors, but it was important to remain on this one. The capsule continued to light the way down, making them aware of fallen rocks within the corridor.

At one point, Ram-Man took the time to stop and pick one up. "We're getting pretty low," he stated. "But not too low."

It was well known that though Ram-Man wasn't he smartest guy out there, he was still knowledgeable when it came to rocks and stones.

"You know, my Mama always told me there was either Dwarf blood or Rock-People blood in me," Ram-Man told them, passing the time.

"I'd say Dwarf, just because you're so damn short," Mekaneck joked.

"Hey!" Ram-Man grumbled loudly.

The rest of the group chuckled and continued on. They passed many corridors on their way down. Every now and then, they would hear a slight noise, like a ticker or a shuffle. But whatever it was, Roboto's sensors were not picking anything up. Granted, his sensors weren't the best down here, but still.

They heard a sudden howl then, and a screech that sent shivers up their spines. They had neared the intersection with another corridor. And coming down that corridor was a number of six-legged, brown, insect-like creatures that were nearly the size of a canine.

"Borebugs!" shouted He-Man, pulling out his sword.

The nearly-blind creatures scurried towards them, screeching and howling and looking for food. Luckily, though, the Heroic Warriors were ready for this. As He-Man, Teela, Ram-Man, Snout Spout, and Mekaneck held them off, Man-At-Arms was busy with a control panel on his wrist. Suddenly, light flowed certain sections of his armor. Roboto's hands, face, legs, and chest all glowed intensely.

Though just about blind, the Borebugs were extremely sensitive to light and hated it. The group ran forward, the light from Man-At-Arms and Roboto keeping the deadly creatures at bay.

It wasn't long until they reached another large chamber, this one smaller than the last but still the same design. It had no tables and tablets, but had more tools. And the entire chamber was crawling with Borebugs. They screeched and scurried, and howled as the light invaded their darkness.

Carefully but quickly, the Heroic Warriors approached their next door. In it was another set of stairs, but these were within a tunnel. "We're going to have block this door," Teela said.

"She's right. If we don't, the Borebugs will come right after us. And you two can't light us like that the entire way."

Man-At-Arms nodded and turned to Ram-Man. "Can you collapse the entrance without collapsing the entire stairwell?"

Ram-Man paused and ran his hands across the rocky walls. "Hmmm. I think so. I hope so." Ram-Man backed up a bit, then leapt up and smashed his head against the ceiling. Large boulders and rocks tumbled and collapsed down over the stairwell entrance.

Man-At-Arms pulled out a small cylinder. He pressed a button on it and the cylinder produce a staff on its end. Man-At-Arms placed it in the ground and the cylinder lit up with brillant light the filled the stairwell.

"This should keep them from tunneling through. Borebugs usually won't go much farther down than this," Man-At-Arms explained. We should keep going.

Mekaneck looked at the collapsed and sealed door behind them. "I don't think we have much of a choice."

***

Locus walked into the meeting room of Snake Mountain and shook his head as he neared King Hiss and Skeletor.

"A contingent of Heroic Warriors lead by He-Man have made for the core of Eternia."

"Impossible!" spat Skeletor. "There is no way into the core of Eternia!"

"They are journeying through the Dwarf Mines of Alluray," Locus replied.

King Hiss nodded and turned fully to Skeletor. "It seems we have a problem then. Alluray contains several mines that go deep, including one that supposed goes into the heart of the world. Even if it doesn't take them the entire way, it would not be difficult to complete that journey."

"My master still needs four days."  


Skeletor groaned. "It's time to call in some favors . . ."


	8. The Journey Underground

Chapter Six

"The Journey Underground"

After a few hours, the tunnel ended yet another chamber, this one longer instead of higher. Man-At-Arms studied the map given to him by Kareen. "It seems that this is some sort of rest area. The tunnel progresses out of here and then becomes a mineshaft. It took a whole day to get down this far, so I suppose this is as good a place as any to catch some rest. Roboto? Can you handle staying up and monitoring?"

"Affirmative, Man-At-Arms. How long would you wish to slumber?"

"Five hours and not a moment more," Man-At-Arms replied, placing his pack on the stone floor. He pulled out a small plastic sheet and pressed a button on the end. The sheet immediately filled with air, forming into an air mattress with built-in pillow.

The others followed suit and soon all of them, except for Roboto, were fast asleep. It was then . . . that He-Man had a dream.

__

He-Man was wandering through a forest in the dark of night. He could hear voices around him, whispering and muttering in the darkness. Occasionally, there would be a shadowy figure darting between the thick trees. But they would vanish quickly.

The whispers dimmed and the night was suddenly replaced by broad daylight. A light shined through the trees, and the whispers were gone. He-Man continued to wander through the forest, and found many animals crossing his path. He then reached a tree, which stood larger and higher than any other. He placed his hands on this tree - and then looked to find that his hands were covered in blood!

He-Man was not horrified or shocked by this, and it felt somewhat . . . strangely natural. He walked from the tree and then found Hordak, Skeletor and King Hiss standing side-by-side. Each one was holding an orb that was on fire.

"He-Man . . ."

"Adam . . ."

"Rising son . . ."

At those words, the orbs exploded and a thousand million billion stars appeared around He-Man, swirling and spinning and flowing like water. The stars faded then, and then He-Man stood in darkness. The darkness faded as well and He-Man was then standing on an island in the middle of the Ocean of Gnarl.

Before him then was a huge statue of Zodak . . . and a sudden, strange thought entered his mind. A thought that was so hard to remember after it zipped through and . . .

"He-Man?"

__

And . . .

"He-Man, wake up!"

He-Man opened his eyes and found Teela hovering above him. In the dim light that Roboto was producing, he could see the concern etched on her face. "What . . . what is it?"

"You were wrestling around in your sleeping bag. I guess . . ." She bit her lower lip. It was something He-Man - as Adam - had seen her do a number of times when things got too awkward for her. 

"I was having a dream," He-Man said. "I don't remember it now. There was . . . a forest? And a . . . stars? Something about Zodak. I don't quite remember it all now."

"Must have been one heck of a dream," Teela said, sitting back.

"Yeah . . ." He-Man replied. The dream slipped away from him now as he gazed upon Teela's beautiful face, lit by the dim light. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About four and half hours . . ."

He-Man nodded. "Why don't you try and get some rest? We still have a long ways to go and a lot to do."

Teela smiled, and then reached over and hugged He-Man. He was a bit surprised by this, considering the time they had spent apart from each other and her lack of wanting to display a lot of affection. But the memories of her feelings for him continued to surface, and she was obviously concerned about him. It was just a dream, but . . .

She broke the embrace went back to her sleeping bag and closed her eyes. He-Man smiled a bit and laid down onto his, mind processing the events everything that had happened between the two. Her feelings for him only went as far as He-Man, not Prince Adam. And, of course, she had no idea that He-Man and Prince Adam were one and the same.

Exactly half-an-hour later, Roboto began to beep. Man-At-Arms, Snout Spout, Mekaneck, and Ram-Man awoke and joined He-Man and Teela. The whole group put their packs back on and made for the next tunnel. The tunnel began with another set of steps that went deeper beneath the surface. These stairs were steeper than any of the others encountered before.

***

Orko felt uneasy as he and Battle Cat sat together in seclusion inside Castle Grayskull. They had been making reports to King Randor for the past day or so regarding the status of Snake Mountain - which Orko had been observing using his crystal ball.

But it had now been two days since He-Man and the others left for Alluray, and the storm was starting to break up and reports were saying that the energy spikes were decreasing. Orko knew automatically that this wasn't a good sign.

It meant that Procrustus didn't have the power to signal for help any longer.

***

The walk down the stairs took hours and hours. Everyone was getting tired of not seeing the sky. The capsule-flare that had flown out ahead of them had been joined by another. The stairs were far more perilous this far down.

After countless hours, the group soon arrived at the end of the stairs to where long tunnel began. They marched down the tunnel, which slopped downwards. It was another ten hours when they reached the end of the tunnel.

The mineshaft appeared before them, heading deep into Eternia for miles and miles. On its slanted sides, they were old train tracks and pulling machines. He-Man looked to the others.

"Well, we better get to work," he announced.

The packs were unloaded and each of the group put on cliff-scaling devices. These harnesses acted like four legs that held firmly onto the wall as they went down the mineshaft. Moving down the mineshaft was slow and took long hours. Shattered Dwarf stairs could be seen as they moved farther and farther down the shaft.

After twelve hours of travel, they arrived at the end of the mineshaft . . . and into the mines themselves.

They went on and on and on, filled with shining rocks and huge boulders. It was all opened up, allowing for a full view from the rock bridge at the end of the shaft. It was here that they stopped and ate some rations, taking in the sights.

"Man-At-Arms," said Ram-Man. "I know rocks and I have ta say that we've barely gotten past the crust of Eternia. I'm startin' ta think that maybe the Dwarfs didn't go all the way to the core. Gettin' past the crust is hard stuff."

"I trust the map, Ram-Man. Don't worry."

Ram-Man nodded, but his words had instilled a certain amount of doubt into the others. After a bit more rest time, hoverboards were pulled out and they all flew across the open air of the mines. Man-At-Arms followed the map to the ledge of one of the mines.

As they entered into the mining tunnel, Roboto remarked that they had entered into their third day of travel. A solemn mood overcame them and everyone seemed on the edge as the continued on down the mining tunnel. It was a pretty flat trip, and there was evidence of mining everywhere. Abandoned picks, trucks, and shovels were littered all about them.

After many hours of walking through the tunnel, they arrived then at yet another mineshaft. Once more, the cliff-scaling harnesses were pulled out and activated. The trip was quicker, for this mineshaft was smaller than the previous. After five hours of traveling, they then arrived at a smaller mining area.

This one was half the size of the previous, but was still open-aired and had many mining tunnels coming in and out of it. They rested for a little bit, allowing Roboto to recharge and for them all to sleep in two hour shifts.

After four hours, the group of Heroic Warriors was at it again, now moving across the mines. They crossed a few stone bridges, scaled ledges, and walked in and out of access mines until they all reached the last mineshaft.

Ram-Man bit his tongue when Man-At-Arms said that they were well over half-way done with their journey. They had just now passed the crust and had entered into the Upper Mantle. There was no way they could enter into the heart of Eternia in one day.

As they journeyed what was about to be their final mineshaft, it took eight hours to reach the next set of mines. Once they reached the next mines, it was their that their hearts sank.

Over 80% of the mine area had been flooded. Man-At-Arms jaw went slack. "How . . . how did this happen?"

"We've had a lot of tremors in the past year," Snout Spout stated. "It's entirely possible that one them broke the surface and caused a nearby river or lake flowing off from Ocean of Gnarl to flood in."

"That'd be my guess," replied Teela, watching as a large fish jumped out and then fell back in.

Man-At-Arms studied the map closely. "It looks like the tunnel we need is right across here. If we could just - "

"LOOK!" shouted Mekaneck.

From the water below, figures began to step out. Mer-Man, Clawful, Whiplash, Tung Lashor, Sssqueeze, and Rattlor all appeared.

"Looks like you've come all this way for nothing!" shouted Mer-Man, trident in hand as he lead the others up onto the surface.

"Looks like they must have swam through your tremors cracks, Snout Spout," Man-At-Arms declared.

"Looks like."

He-Man pulled out his Sword of Power, ready to fight. But Man-At-Arms grabbed his shoulder. "No! You and Teela get to the tunnel! We'll take care of these guys!"

Teela began to protest, but He-Man grabbed her hand and pulled away from the Evil Warriors and the Snake Men as they made for the Heroic Warriors.

He-Man threw out two of their hoverboards, and the pair jumped on them and zoomed across the water towards the tunnel. The last tunnel to the center of Eternia.


	9. Misleading Forces

Chapter Seven

"Misleading Forces"

He-Man clutched his sword as he ran, Teela by his side. Running away from a fight - especially when friends were involved - was something both them absolutely hated to do. But there was no other choice, was there? No. Not a one, really.

They weren't sure as to how long they had been running - hours, maybe even days? - but it wasn't long until something very familiar occurred. The very ground beneath gave way. Immediately, their minds flashed back to when they found the Sword of the Ancients.

Teela and He-Man (then, as Adam) went tumbling down in a similar manner less than a year ago and ended up in audience before the Ancients themselves. This time, they hoped it would take them to center of Eternia. Teela grasped onto He-Man as they continued to free-fall into the darkness. Rock walls passed them by and a sudden heat began to overtake them.

"Teela," He-Man muttered as the young woman pressed up against him in mid-fall.

And then everything went black.

***

Locus walked away from the mouth of Snake Mountain, his seeing stone left at the edge on its pedestal. He walked through the dark corridors of the fortress of evil, thoughts racing towards the victory that would surely be arriving by day's end.

"Skeletor," he addressed, walking into the throne room. Skeletor was arguing with King Hiss, as expected. Hiss turned to Locus and grunted.

"What is it?" asked Skeletor, standing up from his throne.

"The time has almost come. What is your status?"

"Word has been sent out. All those willing are ready to join us," Skeletor replied. "The power of the Spirit of Evil?"

"As I said, the time has almost come. All of the pieces are moving into position. The Light Hemisphere shall be transformed by night fall."

King Hiss scoffed. "I hardly believe that."

Locus looked at the master of the Snake Men. "Oh?"

"I have learned, Locus, that often times the power of good will become triumphant if we are overconfident. At this moment, especially, are we blinded by overconfidence."

"Ah. I see now your misgivings," Locus replied, nodding. "Not to worry, King Hiss of the Snake Men. There are plans upon plans occuring now as we speak. Trust me. All will come to manifest soon."

King Hiss shook his head in disbelief. "If that is what you say, Locus."

"It is what I say. My master has yet to be proven wrong."

At this, King Hiss remained silent. He had been a support of this plan for a good while, but now it felt like it was falling apart. No. He didn't see victory coming. Only foolery that will end in defeat. There was a great cost now, though. Many of the people of Eternia were at each other's throats. This sort of tampering would send the planet into complete and total chaos. Perhaps, then, it would be best to strike and take charge of things then.

After this plan failed, of course. And it would fail.

***

Malik sat in deep thought in the innermost corridors of Stone Mountain. His thoughts swirled and overlapped, processing the struggle at the heart of Eternia. He was suddenly filled with doubts of this mission, this quest. There was something not adding up here. Malik had been so certain before, as the undertaking first began. But now . . .

No. Something WAS wrong. He knew it now.

But what . . . what could it . . .

"No," he said, eyes snapping open. "NO!"

Malik ran from his chamber and into an exterior one, where Kareen was busy writing in a book. She looked up, shocked to her lover in such a panic. "What is it? Malik, what's going on?"

"I'm a fool!" he shouted, reaching for his staff. "I'm a damn fool, Kareen!"

"Why? What happened?"

"The Sword the Ancients! It's a trap! It's a - "

But before Malik could finish, a massive thunderbolt came crashing from the heavens and rammed right into Stone Mountain, silencing both Malik and Kareen.

The Spirit of Evil's control was growing tighter.

***

When Teela and He-Man came to them, they took immediate notice of their surroundings. Far above them was a gigantic hole - the same one they had apparently just fell down through. In front them was a gigantic iron chain that led into the wall. Next to where the chain met the wall was a door. The door was marked with runes of the Ancients and was quite tall and wide.

He-Man and Teela stepped forward and into the door. After a little while walking through a tunnel, they reached the center of Eternia.

It was here that the pair saw a sight that would remain with them forever. Procrustus, a large, human-looking giant made out of rock, with four huge arms - was held in bounds of flame. The flames were flowing from the Sprit of Evil.

The Spirit of Evil looked much like a man, except with a large upper body and was comprised of nothing but fire. Except for two red eyes that shone out from the rest of his face. He turned to He-Man and Teela as soon as they entered.

"He-Man . . ." hissed the Spirit of Evil.

Instinct drove He-Man then. He launched forward, his Sword of Power swinging at the Spirit of Evil. For a strange moment, the Spirit of Evil seemed fearful. He stepped back, cringing before the might of the champion of Grayskull. For the Spirit of Evil saw the kindness and good will within He-Man's heart; the drive of Prince Adam fueling He-Man forward. And so, when He-Man slammed the Sword of Power into the Spirit of Evil, the being let out a thunderous cry.

He fell backwards, stumbling across the gigantic chamber. The power of good stored within the forged blade was too much for him. But the Spirit of Evil was learning and adapting for each swipe He-Man made against him . . .

Teela stood back as the flames of the Spirit of Evil's body seemed sliced for a brief second, then rejoined after the Sword of Power slid through. She waited for her moment. He-Man leapt up and threw the Power Sword into the air, and it struck against the bonds that held Procrustus.

"Free!" shouted Procrustus, standing to full size. The large titan-like Ancient thundered forward and slammed against the firery being. His four arms rammed against the Spirit of Evil's body and he held him against the wall. "He-Man! Attack!"

He-Man smiled and leapt over Procrustus' shoulder, Power Sword poised for a stab that would hopefully end this madness.

"Fools . . ." hissed the Spirit of Evil. "It is done."

A great beam of energy fired from the Spirit of Evil's eyes, smashing against Procrustus. Procrustus stumbled back, and He-Man fell as well. As He-Man fell, though, the Spirit of Evil fired a second energy beam. He-Man fell to the ground, unconscious.

Teela stepped forward.

"Spirit of Evil! I, Teela daughter of Duncan - Captain of the Eternos Royal Guard - and bearer of the Sword of Ancients - have come to stop you and your mad schemes!"

She unsheathed her mighty sword, the runes on the blade glowing bright blue. Teela ran forward, sword out and ready to end this confrontation. Seeing He-Man laying there fueled her passion to stop the Spirit of Evil.

Teela leapt up into the air, the fabled Sword of the Ancients up and ready to -

The Spirit of Evil smacked her away, the sword clattering to the chamber floor. "Now . . . it ends . . .," said the Spirit of Evil. He picked up the Sword of the Ancients. Their runes glowed red then, instead of blue.

"NOOOO!" shouted Teela.

But it was too late.

Before anyone could react, the Spirit of Evil lurched towards the still-weak Procrustus - and stabbed him. Procrustus let out a terrible groan as large cracks appeared all over his body. There was a terrible light and then an awful rumble.

In a thunderous moment, Procrustus was gone. Four gauntlets fell to the bottom of the chamber and the Spirit of Evil dropped the Sword of the Ancients and reached for them. Almost immediately, the gauntlets were on his wrists.

Teela leapt for the Sword of the Ancients and lifted it into her hands. "This isn't done! I'll kill you!"

"No, you can't!" shouted He-Man, pulling her back. "Kill him and Eternia will split apart!"

"Noooo!" yelled Teela.

"We have to get out of here!"

The two ran back towards the tunnel. The entire chamber filled power as the Spirit of Evil took Procrustus' place at the center of all Eternia.

It was over.

Evil had won over good.

COMING SOON - 'PROPHECY & CHANGE - BOOK TWO: SUNDERED'


End file.
